Rising Shadows
by Tamara703
Summary: Set 7 years before the events of the original game, Noctis learns betrayal from an early age, and his world is changed forever. Plagued by the memories of his past, he finds out that nothing is what it seems, and no one is who they say they are. R&R are much appreciated, keep reading for the story to unfold :).
1. Chapter 1

**This story is set 7 years before the events of the original game, it will be complicated at first i know :); lots of ocs at the beginning but when the story progresses, (if i continue it i hope), it will make more sense.**

**the chapters are based on different character's point of veiw, not only Noctis', i mean to continue it if i get enough R&R.**

**now that said and done, enjoy the fic ^.^**

* * *

****CHAPTER I

**7 YEARS AGO.**

**_Not much further now_** he thought as he raced through the forest like a lightning would race through a cloud, he knew these forests better than anyone, especially better than **them**! They were the outsiders, the ones who invaded **his** kingdom, **_but how our gates are well defended, the guards were there unharmed I saw them, how could they have possibly entered without anyone noticing? Maybe they found some secret entrance underneath the city's sewers, or through a broken iron gate, unless…_**his line of thoughts were cut short as he almost stumbled upon a tree root as thick as an arm_, _**_idiot, now is not the time to think about such things, they're here and_****_that's that_**, they were following him and getting closer by the second. He had no time to think of the past, they are here and they want him dead, **_there's only one thing they would want…_**

Something was wrong, terribly wrong; he felt it in his bone, **_that's impossible. How could_****_they possibly reach this place before me?_** Flashlights were gleaming through the leaves of the trees, searching for him no doubt, **_They would find me soon, I should_****_hide above in the trees and take them down silently_**_,_ and so he did, climbing the tree's branches as quiet as a cat, he took the first soldier in the throat with his dagger, unaware of what befell him, snapped the second's neck before he had time to turn around and warn the others, **_so few… and I thought I had a real battle on my hands_****_here_**_,_ including the ones he just killed, only six remained, he was reaching for the third when he heard someone shouting on his left, "there he his, KILL HIM!", **_dammit, so soon_****.** He had no choice but to draw his own weapons, the soldiers did not hesitate to fire at him and nor will he.

He surrounded himself with magical aura, their weapons were strong but his were stronger, he struck the one closest to him with fire, burning him to death, the man struggled on the floor, squirming like a worm and screaming like one too before laying still, "fire really? I'm in the middle of a forest! Should have thought about that" he murmured to himself before launching unto his next target, the poor bastard was reloading when he struck his dagger right through his heart, killing him instantly,

_Mercy, more than he deserves it.._

At that moment, his shadow moved, launching unto the last two soldiers that were behind him, His shadow was a form of beast that none could understand, not even the ones like him; it was different from the others, having a body of a lizard and a head of a cobra. The creature moved swiftly, killing them as quick as thunder. As the last soldier fell to the floor, Dexion returned to his master, others would have ran in dismay but not him, he loved the creature with all his heart, it was part of him after all.

"Good job, boy" he pet the creature like a master would pet his dog, scrubbing it beneath its scales like one would scrub a kitten's belly.

Content with its work, Dexion was gone as fast as it came; fading into a cloud of smoke until it was nothing but his shadow again, tugging at his feet, and suddenly he felt alone, standing there in the forest he knew so well.

**_I should return to the temple, see if everything's okay, the other must have seen them, they must have! Maybe if I report this to the king, he would send troops to search for the rest, these men can't be all of them. But first…_**His line of thoughts were cut yet again, but not by a tree root this time but by someone calling his name. The voice sounded familiar, the sound of his kin, his cousin calling him. **_How does he know I'm here, did he see me fight them?_**

"Glymor!", his voice got even closer until finally, "there you are, I've been looking for you" Jethro was his name, Glymor recognized his face as soon as he turned to see who it was, though they all have the same features; same eye and hair color, Jethro looked queerly different than him and the others. Taller and fairer, he carried his genes more proudly than them, Jethro Cuelum had a swagger to him, a confidence bordering on arrogance, **_perfect for a prince_**, he thought, Jethro and Miken are his lords, their father is his king.

"How did you know I was here?" he asked wearily, suddenly feeling tired. "I saw smoke coming out of the woods, so I came running" **_the man who burned, of course._**

"Have you found any of these men on your way here?" he pointed at one of the corpses, the one who was cut down by Dexion, "no, who were they?"

"Soldiers by the look of it, but from where? I do not know."

When finally they reached the end of the forest, the moon was hidden behind the clouds like a child would hide behind his mother's skirts, **_going to rain again_**. The air was cold and cruel on his face, their clothes flapping with each gust of wind that hit them, they both wore a cloak made of silk, **_guardian cloaks, such stupid things to wear on a windy night, black_** was their color, with the sign of the Cuelum's family name on their left side, just above their hearts.

"Are you heading back?" Jethro asked, he stopped so suddenly that Glymor almost bumped into him, "No.. You should report this to your lord father, Jethro, I'll stay back and-"his words were caught in his throat as he felt a punch in his gut. When he tried to speak again, he was surprised to find a spray of blood coming out of him instead, he looked down and saw a spear thrust inside him, inside his bowels, it was one of Jethro's spears, **_this is wrong, Jethro RUN!_** But when he looked up, it all made sense, Jethro was there, he was the one holding the far end of the weapon, looking into Glymor's eyes, dark blue eyes as cold as ever, they all had the same eyes, but why did Jethro's seem cold and unforgiving?

"W-Why?" was the only thing Glymor had managed to say, he was in pain, both from the wound Jethro managed to inflect on him, and the pain of having your kin turn on you, betray you like that ."For centuries, our family had only one guardian to protect her, and now she chooses four, why might that be Glymor?", he held the spear with both his hands; trying to get it out of him, the pain was becoming unbearable, "She's.. The only crystal left…one guardian cannot wish to.. h-hold against all…her e-enemies-" "WRONG!" the spear jammed even deeper into Glymor's stomach, making him scream with agony, he could hear Dexion screaming with him, **_no, please not him_**. Neva, Jethro's shadow, a form of a snake with eyes as cruel as Jethro's, was on the poor creature, wrapping around it, making it impossible for it to reach Glymor in time to defend him, the beast was as weak as his master now, with its tail flailing, trying to break free. **_If I die he would die with me and fade into nothingness,_** that alone made him shiver, he couldn't feel anything but the pain, the unspeakable pain, "She wants to test us, see who's stronger", **_what is he talking about? This is wrong_** "Jethro.. P-please—"

"Imagine, coz, imagine what one would do with all that power, unlimited power, all I need to do is kill you, take your ring, do the same for the others… it shouldn't be too hard Noctis doesn't pose any threat whatsoever, and my brother, well…" **_He's mad_**_,_ Glymor was feeling numb all over, he couldn't feel his arms nor his legs anymore, the only thing keeping him from falling is the spear, eating him up from the inside, **_it won't be long_**** now**, he tried to tell himself, barely conscious, **_at least the pain is gone_**, at that moment, he felt something slip; Jethro managed to take his ring right before he fell to the ground, the little jewel inside the ring glowed faintly with light,

The last thing he saw was Jethro's smile.

**_Pleased with his work no doubt… the little bastard._**


	2. Chapter 2

CHAPTER II

By the time he reached the gates of the temple, the sky was weeping, he was cold and wet, **_washed away all the blood… good_**, he hid Glymor's ring in his pocket so they won't suspect anything, **_I'll wear them all after I kill them all_**_,_ the hall was empty when he entered, the crystal's glass glowing with many colors, all beautiful and pale, **_sad colors. Does she know one of her guardians are dead? Rotting under the rain even now_****,** If she did however, she showed no sign of it, she was a gift from their gods, the only one left in this world, all her brethren were killed, shattered in the cold war, and only she remained, there has always been something or someone behind that thick white glass, but none knew what it was, so they took to calling her "she_", _**_A delicate creature can only be a "she"… men are cruel and ugly._**

He found no one there, he called their names but no one answered, **_where could they possibly go at this hour_**, he tried the yard, but no one was there as well, **_this is useless_****,** the gates creaked when he pulled them inward, going outside again. It was still raining, and getting colder, the night was quiet, too quiet, the temple was miles away from the city, but it still was in the kingdom, and that was something, long ago, the building itself was hidden, no one went there but her guardian, but after the cold war, the Cuelums have included it back into their kingdom, building huge stone walls around it including the forest that embraced the old ruin for centuries.

"Where have you been?" the voice came so suddenly, Jethro almost jumped from his boots, he turned around to see Noctis, sweat was dropping from his forehead, obvious even under the rain, **_sparring with my brother no doubt, but where/ we always practice in the yard_**, Noctis was the youngest, only being newly recruited last month on his sixteenth's birthday, everyone was surprised to hear what fate the crystal has chosen for him, but none could argue with her decision, she knew better after all.

He still looked too young, even for his age, he was a lithe and well-made youth, with a lanky build and a shock of dark blue hair with dark blue eyes; typical colors for a Cuelum.

"I could ask you the same thing", Noctis grinned at that, looking like a child who has just returned from a candy store, "Miken is teaching me how to use one of his longbows, its much harder than I expected, no sword has given me this much blisters, see" he raised his hands to Jethro, what he said was plainly true, his hands were bloody, his fingers cut with more scars than he could count, **_Charming.._** "Where is my brother then?" "still in the woods—" "here I am" Miken was Jethro's twin, although they had the same face, Miken was shorter than him, always smiling, **_only a fool would smile this much_**. At his feet, his shadow appeared, a huge wolf that some would mistaken it for a bear, the creature was panting as well, having his tongue sticking out like that looked almost disgusting for Jethro's eyes, the wolf was not like any other he had seen before, with shaggy black hair and eyes as red as blood, the creature looked almost invisible at night, **_just like a shadow_**, his snake was as black as the massive wolf as well, but strangely more terrifying, "Trading your weapons like that is forbidden, Miken you should know better"

"No, it's not, besides, Noct has been begging me to teach him how to use a bow for the last two weeks, it became annoying! And I wish he had some talent in it, he couldn't hit any target I threw at him" "I wasn't begging, I was simply asking, and I faired pretty well for someone who's new to archery" "Well, it should be, by the gods, look at his hands, if I didn't know any better, I would say that he was attacked, they look like they have been torn by Plague's claws" Plague was Noctis' shadow, a massive creature who had taken the form of a dragon, so he took to calling him "Plague" which suited the lizard quite well; having his scales and eyes as black as night, it looked the most threatening of them all, **_his master is not as strong though, he's only as strong as Noctis is… Not much of a threat_****.**

Jethro eyed Miken as he got closer to him. He shoved him playfully on his shoulder and said: "Where's Glymor?"

"Scouting" he lied, not even flinching, he knew they would ask about him, and he had the answer readied at the back of his head. Scouting was part of their job, one of their daily duties, even in this kind of weather.

Later, much later, after they had all entered the temple, Jethro has taken to stay by the crystal, "I can't sleep just yet" he told them, so they both agreed that he had the watch tonight, "If anything happens, don't hesitate to wake us".

He could still hear their voices behind the walls.

**_They'll sleep soon; just have to wait a little bit longer._**


	3. Chapter 3

CHAPTER III

He woke to the sound of thunder outside; rain was still falling, even heavier than before. **_Never rained this much at this time of year, and it's still not even winter_**. His legs were stiff and cramped, and the candle beside their mattresses that served as beds had long since burned out, he turned his head to see no one there but himself, **_I'm not the only one who had bad dreams it seems_**_;_ he dreamt of the crystal, all shattered and broken. in his dream, she had taken the form of woman with hair as white as snow and a face so pale and boney she looked almost dead, though her dress used to be white by the look of it, it was now drenched in blood, her hands were all bloody as well, but it wasn't hers, he knew that much. she was weeping, cradling herself with her arms wrapped around her like a mother would cradle a child, she was singing too, a sad and solemn song, it had put Noctis almost to tears. When he tried to reach her, he was surprised to find her reaching back, **_she needs help_**, he thought, **_and I'm the only one here_**. But when their hands touched, she started screaming. Shattering into tiny little pieces of glass, **_Gods, what have I done! I was only trying to help_**, all he could do was stare, too frightened to do anything, **_weak_** a voice called inside him.**_ Too weak to do defend her, too weak to them. And now they all die, all because of you._**

He woke shivering, violently, **_just a bad dream_**, he tried telling himself, but something about it felt real

Slowly, Noctis pushed himself to his feet. He was shivering uncontrollably now, wishing he hadn't woken at all.

Three quick steps had brought him to the temple's great hall, where the crystal stood; a massive white glass shining brilliantly. No one was there**,**

**_this can't be. Where are they_****. **

Suddenly, he heard something; the clash of steel on steel just outside:" What, at this time?" he murmured to himself. He donned his cloak, lifted his hood and went outside. When he closed the gates behind him, he was surprised to see Jethro and Miken sparring. But something about them fighting like this felt wrong, he could sense it; there was blood on Jethro's shoulder, a cut still bleeding from the look of it, Miken sported a more serious injury though: his left side was all bloody, and he was struggling to stay on his feet. Helius, Miken's wolf, leapt, fighting Neva with all his strength, but most of the time, it seemed she had the advantage and not him; wrapping herself around his neck, trying to bite him with her venomous teeth. Helius wrenched free at the last moment and crept away from her, red tongue lolling from his mouth.

**_What are they doing… this is wrong_**.

He tried to shout, to scold them, to tell them to stop, that what they're doing is folly, but all he managed to say was: "HEY"… and they stopped, looking at him. Jethro was barely wincing, if he was tired, he showed no sign of it. Miken though, was panting; he was in pain, too much pain. That was clear as day.

"Noctis RUN" shouted Miken, but he couldn't understand what was going on, he was dumb struck, **_what does he mean by run_**. He couldn't move, let alone **run**.

"Fools" he heard Jethro say before the whole world went numb: Jethro's spear was jutting out of Miken's back, for a moment there; Miken looked like a broken man on a stick, blood coming out of his mouth, "NOOOOO!" Noctis had no time to think, so he threw himself forward, bringing down one of his swords with all his weight behind it. As fast as he was, Jethro was faster. Somehow he managed to summon another of his spears, putting it between him and Noctis a second before his sword jammed into his skull.

"What have you done?" was the only thing he could say; Noctis loved all of his cousins: he grew up with them, played with them, ate with them. But something about Miken made Noctis love him the most, he was warm and always smiling. **_And you broke him you coward._**

Jethro made no answer; he pushed Noctis away from him, attacking him again and again, trying to slash him here and there; trying to kill him. **_He's too quick_**_._ Noctis managed to block every blow but for how long?

He glanced at Miken, trying to get the spear out of him. He was still alive but barely

**_This is not good_**, for a moment, all his concern went to Miken, he forgot about the man trying to kill him, the man who had once been his cousin, his prince, his friend.

Jethro slammed into him, knocking him off his feet.

Noctis' breath went out of him as he hit the floor, his head pounded heavily now, he was all muddy and wet, but that made no matter. His sword was knocked out of his hand as well, he tried to reach for it, but it was too far, tried to summon another only to get hit by a lightning bolt that came straight from Jethro's hand, **_lightning? When did he learn to use magic?_** But then he noticed something, something that sickened him to the bone, he saw two rings on Jethro's finger, one that belonged to Glymor. **_Oh no…_**

Dazed, Noctis tried to kick at Jethro's feet but to no avail, Jethro grabbed Noctis' neck with both his hands, chocking him. Gagging, he tried to shove his hands off of him, but Jethro was too heavy, too **strong**. His thumbs pressing tighter into Noctis' throat, his face looming against his own, meeting eye-to-eye.

Noctis raked his hands with his nails and kicked him again and again. He tried to punch, tried to breathe…

And suddenly Jethro's weight was gone, his hands ripped from his throat. It was all Noctis could do to roll over, gasping for air, shaking all over.

Plague had him, attacking Jethro from every side, roaring with anger.

He watched, barely conscious, before he finally remembered to reach for his sword.

He vaguely noticed Neva letting go of Helius and attacking Plague instead, who posed an immediate threat to her master.

Staggering to his feet, Noctis went to Miken instead, he found him on the floor, holding his wounds with both his hands, trying to stop the bleeding.

**_He'll die here if I don't do something_**_;_ he lifted his prince from the floor, sliding his arm around his waist, half carrying him, **_we have to go, now._**

"PLAGUE" he shouted, his voice sounding hoarse, the creature rushed to him, ignoring the shadow that he had writhing in his claws. As the dragon approached, Noctis quickly grabbed hold of his neck, and they both flew.

**_They won't get far_**, Jethro pushed himself to his feet, spitting blood from his mouth, then cleaning it with the back of his hand.

The crystal had given each and everyone of them his own unique abilities.

Jethro had been more fortunate however. Having also the power to teleport; he could easily pass through the forests and get to them before they went too far.

**_Can't have them reach the kingdom. This ends here and now_**_. _


	4. Chapter 4

CHAPTER IV

The night was passing, the rain fell soft and steady now and the sky was painted with many colors. The sight would have been beautiful once, but to him, the world was grey darkness, smelling of pine and moss and cold, bitter cold.

The more Plague rushed, the more Miken screamed, so he had learned to keep his dragon at a steady pace. **_This is not good, we're too slow_**

He had to think of a plan and fast, Noctis was getting weary and so was Plague, but he had to get his prince to safety.

He halted his dragon to stop, the huge beast landed on the ground more roughly than he would have liked. He dropped to his feet and took his cloak off, a cold shiver went down his spine, **_still too cold, but that doesn't matter now_**, he pressed the silk cloth into Miken's wound making him wince, "hold this tight, and whatever you do, don't let go of Plague's neck, he'll take you back to the kingdom and they'll fix you up"

He couldn't help but notice the shock on Miken's face; he couldn't understand what was happening "what are you doing? You're coming with me" "I can't Miken, I'm sorry, someone has to stay behind and hold off Jethro, he can't have what he wants, I'll buy you time" Miken tried to get off from Plague's back but Noctis stopped him, putting his hand on Miken's chest and shoving him back slightly, **_don't make this harder than it already is_**_,_ "go back and report this Miken, I'm depending on you"

"I can still fight" the prince's face was white as milk, and his skin was burning hot but he still struggled with Noctis' arm, pushing it away from his chest, **_no you can't_** "I know you can… but I won't let you"

He heard voices in the trees behind him, leaves rattling, **_he's close_**. They had reached the end of the forest before him. His hair and clothes were still wet and dirty, he could barely move his feet in the muddy floor that drowned his boots, they were on an edge of a cracked hill that separated their kingdom from the massive jungle.

"I'll come back as soon as I can, I promise…" the beast turned his head at Noctis, looking and sounding as sad as Miken. Noctis went to him, clasping his huge head with both his hands and brought it close to his "you take care of him alright?" smoke rose from the dragon's nostrils, moaning like a little puppy, he shoved his head closer to Noctis', trying to be as innocent as a child, but Noctis only smiled, a faint sad smile, **_I might never see him again_**, "I will not come with you this time" he told him. The great lizard did not understand, he looked at Noctis with eyes as black as night, huge black pits that gleamed like jade in the sunlight "I'll be fine…now go before it's too late" the dragon resisted at first, but when Noctis slapped his back with his hand, Plague's wings unfolded and took to the air.

Moments later, he heard someone behind him, "trying to be the noble hero Noctis?"

His voice made him shudder; he turned his head to see Jethro with Neva, coiled around his arm, slithering at him, **_one bite from her and I'm gone… I have to be careful_**_._

He still couldn't understand why Jethro would betray them like this, but he was too angry to care right now; Jethro betrayed them, betrayed them all no matter how he puts it. He's his enemy now, nothing more, nothing less.

"The gods are smiling upon me Noctis, can't you see? They left you as my opponent, and the battle I had with my brother ended splendidly with my success"

"You called that a battle? You took him, both of us by surprise you COWARD" he replied angrily, Jethro was calm and still as water "this is neither about valor nor courage Noctis, don't you see? The world is cruel; there are no heroes and fair maidens, no gallant knights with their journeys of strength and wisdom, only murder, betrayal and ugliness, all written in cold blood" his voice turned even darker as he spoke, Noctis has never seen him like this before, **_He has gone mad_****.**

"I've seen you train more than once. You have talent boy, but do you have the belly to fight a real man?" at that, Jethro summoned one of his spears, toying with the weapon, slashing at the air, Neva removed herself from his arm, sliding slowly to the ground like a big black worm. Noctis had always played with Quentin's shadow; the beast looked terrifying but was friendly in a way, even Miken's shadow looked scary from a distance, but the huge wolf was like a massive black fur ball that was always happy, just like his master.

But Neva was neither friendly nor happy; Noctis always tried to avoid her. She always gave them looks with her sharp yellow eyes as if at any time she would devour them all.

Today, she had that chance, just like her master,

"You flatter yourself" he said, summoning Solcesthice; a massive two-handed sword that Noctis held easily with one hand, the weapon was lighter than it looked, sunlight ran silver along the tall blade. The handle was the strangest though; Noctis held a slim stick that sported two giant wheels that made the blade come to life each time he moved it

"Come closer, Noctis. I mean have your head at the end of the day"


	5. Chapter 5

CHAPTER V

They laid the corpse in front of the king.

A silence fell across the hall, and in the quiet Lucis could hear the small drops of rain that remained from yesterday's storm, **_how could this happen. Where were the others?_**

He stood at the king's right hand beside the throne, having Cearwyn, the king's steward on his left.

The hall was only lit by several candles; it was ancient and lacked too many of today's technology, but the Caelums had agreed to keep it this way, it was part of their history and heritage; they believed that the older it looked, the more powerful it became. The huge building had no power to it however; it looked like a ruin from the outside and had rotten walls from the inside. The tremendous castle was made of old bricks and stone, but still looked queerly beautiful.

It seemed a very long time before the king lifted his eyes from the bloody dead. 'Where did you find him?" his voice was dark and his mouth was stiff, his hands making fists, **_he's angry… but so am I._** Lucis was the king's brother; he was always known for being the most calm and collected. He had dark blue hair and dark blue eyes; just like his brother, yet he managed to hold them more brilliantly than his sibling. He was taller as well and more broad shouldered, with his dark blue beard lining his face. He would have seemed younger than his age if it weren't for his slightly leathered face, with wrinkles at the corner of his eyes.

"Just outside the forest my liege" Wordless, the king turned his head to Cearwyn "have men scout the forest immediately, if any of them spot anything or anyone, return to me."

"As you command—"

"There's no need your grace" interrupted the guard, his armor was jet black and his helm covered his entire face, making him look invisible at night.

"I had men search the jungles already my liege, we have found six more bodies, all foreign" the answer took all of them by surprise, **_that's impossible_**, their kingdom was isolated from its' neighbors, their walls were as firm as they could get, none had ever bested their guards, how could they have entered without anyone noticing, and even kill one of their guardians to that matter?

In life, Glymor had been tall and handsome, having long hair that stooped to his shoulder blades and was always combed backwards. But death had shrunken him, making him look like a child again, his eyes; dark blue diamonds that he held so proudly once as a Caelum had turned white and pale. Glymor had his hair tangled and wet, though in life, it would never have looked like this.

They had crossed his arms above his chest, but no one seemed to notice that his eyes were still half-open, staring at the castle's high ceiling, **_he's been dead for a while now, and not a peaceful death by the look of it_**. Lucis knew his nephew would not go down as easily, he seemed to have fought for his life; small traces of blood trickled slowly from his fingers, but no cuts were seen there, his fatal blow was done by a stab wound that covered his belly with blood, though the rain had washed him almost clean. In the end, no one was immortal, even someone who had been as strong as Glymor.

"By the gods, someone cover his eyes, have some respect" at that, one of the guards knelt beside the body and slipped a hand over Glymor's face from forehead to chin, making him look more peaceful than before.

"The six corpses all wore the same uniform magnificence, all soldiers by the look of them." The guard continued, "We caught two more to the east, one is badly wounded and dying, the other is in a cell being questioned, my liege."

"Good" was all the king had managed to say,

**_He's grieving... And it's painfully obvious._**

"Take him down to the morgue and have him cleaned and dressed in white" he continued for him.

it was in these times of peril that Lucis was able to cover for his brother. In battle, Savos was stronger and more confident. In these situations, however, Lucis was more intelligent and held his emotions and feelings better than his older brother.

"Kill the dying soldier; we have no time for healing enemies. Has the other told you anything?"

"Not yet my lord, but he might if we… press him harder".

Though he couldn't see the man's face, he felt him grin just beneath his helm, **_that kind of soldier are you? I will hold any objections of my own. The man they're about to brutalize killed my sister's son, I care naught for him._**

It only took minutes for the body to be carried out of the hall and the narrow room was quiet again.

Sunlight shimmered from the massive window stationed behind the royal throne, painting white lines on the floor and on their backs,

"Cearwyn… close the shutters"

"Right away your grace" the steward moved quickly and in a matter of seconds, the room was dark.

Lucis could feel the warmth of the sun disappearing from his back; the room was even colder now than he first entered it.

An awkward moment of silence passed before he spoke:

"Savos-"

"I want the HEADS of the ones who did this" the king's jaws clenched with each word,

**_If I knew where they were, I would have hunted them myself, _**

"What would you have me do?"

"Everything in your power… I want the ones who did this to bleed. No one attacks and kills a Caelum and lives to tell about it"

"I could send troops to search again. I-If it pleases you your grace"

Cearwyn was hesitant with every word and it was plain on his face that he was afraid he would be the next corpse laying on the floor in front of them; he had never seen his king this angry before and it certainly did not make him any more comfortable getting near them both.

"Yes, that would please him Cearwyn, you can leave now" Lucis had to dismiss him before any other tragedy occurred, Cearwyn was one of their best and most trusted servants, him and his father before him had been with the Cealums for generations, and Lucis did not doubt Cearwyn's son to be next in line. **_Maybe an adviser to Jethro or Miken, they would become his friends, and he theirs._**

But there was no time to think about such things now, so the steward left as quickly as his feet could carry him and he was alone with his brother, his king.

"What of my sons? What of Noctis? Where were they?"

"Probably back at the temple your grace, I do not know"

"Send a car there, I want them here at once—"

"SIRE!"

the shout came from outside, and both of them glanced sharply at the door, but before they had the chance to move, the door flew open, and a guard rushed inside, panting heavily "Sire, you have to come… quickly"

That made Lucis uneasy, **_what could be worse than this?_**

But what they found outside was shoddier.

The castle's yard held no beauty, dark and muddied from the rain, it gave a solemn view that wasn't easy on the eyes, tall dark grass grew instead of green, round black flowers bloomed instead of red and leafless giant trees grew with broken branches. The ground was dirty and black and full of blood, but blood from where?

Lucis started looking in each direction, his heart beating faster than before. He heard a scream from his left and started running towards it.

**_By all the gods… _**

One of the castles' maids dropped her tray and held her hands against her mouth, tears streaming down her cheeks. The sight was horrible; a dark figure lay on the ground, its' head placed on one of the guards' laps, and beside it another dim shape, but massive in size and what appeared to be a dragon that Lucis recognized only by one glance**_,_**

**_ Gods, please. Don't let it be him_**

He rushed towards the scene, getting closer until he stopped next to his brother, he saw him starting to kneel beside what now looked like a boys' body on the floor, all covered in blood.

The lad looked frail and weak; the only sign of him being alive is the constant breathing of his chest, moving up and down ever so slowly.

"F-father…. I'm sorry… I'm so sorry"

The shafts of sunlight had vanished behind thick grey clouds and the world was dark again.

Lucis stood there motionless; his cloak flapping behind him like a cape, the air was cold against his face, bitter cold.

He saw his brother, reaching for his son's hand, squeezing it with his own.

"Who did this?" the kings' voice trembled with each word, not by fear or grief, but by anger.

**_He's badly hurt, and there's nothing we can do about it_,**

He formed his hands into fists, this helpless feeling made Lucis uneasy, his nephew lay there broken and there was nothing he or anyone else could do but watch.

"Betrayed…" drops of bright red blood pattered on the black grass as he spoke and Lucis winced at each drip. "Jethro, he… h-he did this. I tried to stop him father… I swear I... t-tried"

"What is he talking about...?" he asked more to himself than anyone else, no one seemed to hear him and they all stood there watching as if they had all turned to living statues.

"I-I'm sorry" were the last words that parted Miken's lips before his eyes closed.

The whole world around them was quiet and still as drops of rain started falling from the sky again.

Lucis could feel his brother's back tense as the prince's limp hand dropped from his fathers', it was all that Lucis could do but to put his hand on his shoulder, hoping it could ease the pain.

"Savos—"

before he could say anything else he heard a loud shriek to his left, making him shudder at the sound; the giant reptile started screaming, his whole body flailing as he tried to fly away.

**_Noctis… he's in trouble, and he wants to reach him before it's too late._**

There was no time to think, his son could be laying dead or dying somewhere and he wanted to get to him before he ends up like his cousin.

**_Dying maybe… but not dead._**

If that was the case, Plague would not have reached the castle; he would have faded into shards of black glass,

**_I still have a chance to save him, if he's out there._**

He ran towards the poor creature that now had his wings spread out, and held him from his neck.

"Take me to him boy" he whispered as he rode the dragon as one would ride a horse.

The rain soaked his hair as he took to the air.

**_Please gods… let me make it in time._**

* * *

This chapter is not my best but it'll do:), I want this said and done to get on to the next chapters.

it's only gonna get more interesting from here on i swear ( i hope!)

Rates and Reviews will let this story go faster :D.

Thank you for reading (or even stopping by this fic for that matter ^.^).


	6. Chapter 6

I finally got this chapter out... Yay ^_^.

As you all know, the game is now called FFXV and Noctis' father is Regis and not Lucis.

In my story, that is the only thing that has changed, the kingdom is now called** Lucis**, and Noctis' father is now called** Regis**.

After watching the trailer, i guess i'm gonna include the new characters in the following chapters ( if i continue it i hope :P), including the red haired dude and the black haired chick and etc...

Now that's out of the way, Enjoy :)

* * *

CHAPTER VI

Noctis rushed him hard.

Jethro took a step backwards and met the charge with a two-handed slash. If Noctis had not avoided the blow with a last second dash, it might have staved the armor he wore underneath his cloak and broken half his ribs,

_What's wrong with me? I'm not landing any blows; I'll be dead by the end of the day if this goes on._

From the moment they crossed blades, Noctis had been evading Jethro's attacks rather than meeting them. Whenever he got the chance to strike, his prince would easily block it with his spears, docking in time to allow Neva to hit Noctis with her fangs, but each bite has been unsuccessful as he blocked each and every one… until now at least.

Jethro's quickness was an unpleasant surprise, and his ability to teleport was definitely not the thing Noctis wanted right now; each time he had Jethro underneath his sword, he somehow disappeared, leaving only white shards in his wake, and appearing right behind him with a readied blow to take him down, but each had been hindered by his sword.

They circled round each other, trading blow for blow.

"Stop this Jethro" he begged as their blades met with a bone-jarring clang,

"I'll stop when you're dead".

Noctis jumped back, parrying, but he followed, pressing the attack. No sooner did he block one cut than the next was upon him. The swords kissed and sprang apart then kissed again, Jethro rained down steel upon his cousin; he swung his blade so hard that sparks flew when sword and spear came together. He kept striking him, over and over, faster by the second…

…until breathless, he stepped back and let the point of his spear fall to the ground, giving Noctis a moment to respite, to even inhale at that matter,

"Not half bad" he acknowledge, "for a child".

He took a slow deep breath, his eyes watching him wearily

"I would not hurt you… my _prince_"

"As if you could… look at you, you're already tired"

"I could say the same for you"

"This is not the first battle I fight today mind you"

_He talks as if he's boasting of great battles he fought, of powerful enemies he killed!_

He was not wrong; Jethro spoke proudly, and loudly even, as if what he did today was courageous and an act of bravery,

_Kin slaying is not something a person can pride himself with… its treachery._

When he saw the relief in Jethro's eyes, and that sick grin of his, he knew what would happen next, he even _felt_ it; a small tingle went up his left knee and that's when he looked down,

_Neva!_

The shadowy serpent managed to creep up from behind him while he was distracted; her master gave her enough time to wrap herself around his leg, making it impossible for him to move.

"Good girl" Jethro murmured before charging forward and in a flash he was upon him, swinging his weapon with blinding speed.

Noctis dashed away just in time to grab his sword from the ground, which happened to fall from him as Neva was draping herself around his leg as if her life depended on it.

Without thinking, Noctis brought down his sword as quick as a cat … But not for Jethro, his blade crushed scales and meat and bone… and Neva's head went rolling across the muddy ground.

The legless body squirmed for mere seconds before falling from underneath him, limb and motionless. Noctis took that chance to stroke his-now-half-numb-leg, rubbing it with both his hands before lurching to his feet.

For a brief moment, the world froze around them, there were no sounds to be heard, except for the little drops of rain that started falling, making little clicks as they hit the dark terrain.

_Jethro…_

They heard stories of past guardians, how they were utterly and completely connected to their shadows; what the creatures suffered in mind and body, the protectors felt in heart and soul.

They imagined it would hurt, that it would be undeniably painful; none of them would ever picture their life without each other. Their shadows were a part of them, a part of their personality, their character.

None of them had ever experienced this situation before.

But as Noctis watched, he felt as if his eyes were deceiving him: the look of agony and confusion on his prince's face was unmistakably there!

Dropping his spear, Jethro touched his neck tenderly with both hands, as if looking for a wound that wasn't there; he then clutched it with greater strength and fell to his knees,

_I shouldn't be sorry for him, _he tried telling himself, _He killed Glymor and even tried to kill his own twin, he'll kill me if I go soft, I shouldn't, I-_

And that's when he heard his cousin scream, an anguish shout that seemed to come from his lungs rather than his gullet, and Noctis could not help but rush to him, sprinting rapidly.

"I'm sorry" he pleaded, grabbing his shoulder lightly, but Jethro kept on screaming, scratching at his throat violently with his nails until blood started

started trickling down his fingers.

_Gods… _

He did not know what to do, what to think, what to say. Was he his enemy? Or his helpless flesh and blood that needed him now more than ever, his mind went blank.

Maybe he wasn't as strong as his cousins; maybe he wasn't cut out as a guardian. He always felt the need to protect those close to him, and Jethro was like his brother, his friend.

Jethro would've taken this chance to strike him down, but here he is, looming over his broken prince, speaking words of comfort where others would have killed the turncoat right there.

The screaming stopped then, and so did Noctis, it seemed as if there was no voice left in him, and that is when he looked up, eyes burning with rage,

Without a word, Jethro shoved Noctis away from him and he rose slowly, panting heavily.

No weapons were involved in this fight as Jethro threw himself forward, bulling himself into Noctis, and they both went down together, legs entangled. Steel slammed on steel and both men rolled on the hard ground,trading blow for blow.

The prince drove a knee in his minion's belly. Noctis lashed out with a mailed fist.

Somehow Jethro ended up on top, with Noctis' head in his hands. He smashed it against the ground once, and then twice, shouting words Noctis could not grasp, until he pushed him away again, putting some space between the two of them.

He struggled to one knee. His head was ringing and his mouth was full of blood, he spat it out and wiped his mouth with the back of his arm. Looking up, he saw his cousin chasing towards him again with incredible speed, he took a step backwards but only to realize he was on the edge of the hill,

_Oh no…_

"Jethro stop-"

Jethro slammed his body against him. The impact made him grunt, and they both fell off the mountain together.

He woke with a sudden gasp. He could feel neither his back nor his legs, he could not move.

He looked around, breathing violently until he saw a dark figure lying on his stomach, still as a statue with eyes faintly opened.

Dead blank eyes were staring at Noctis, he felt as if he was being judged, but then he realized that his prince wasn't moving,

_I'll die here as well… I can't even move._

His last worries shifted to the crystal, what would happen to it if they're all dead?

Would it shatter and leave their kingdom ruined? Or would it choose other guardians to protect it, other guardians who would do a better job than them.

_It's his fault; he did this, _he tried telling himself.

"**No… it's yours you fool, you weren't strong enough to stop him, you were weak… and now you're both history" **

A voice told him before he drifted into darkness.


	7. Chapter 7

**REMINDER: **This is my first story. Please be gentle :).

Disclaimer: i do not own any of FINAL FANTASY XV characters.

the only ones i do own are the OCs that are dying like flies :S.

* * *

**CHAPTER VII**

The great beast slammed into the ground so hard Regis stumbled off it's back with a great THUD.

As muddy as it was, it still managed to tear off his trousers at the knees, leaving one of them bloody and wet.  
He rose panting, as if tired of some great run.

Plague had always been playful like this; diving so low to the ground then  
shooting up towards the sky again mere seconds before hitting the floor with Noctis on his back.

he always knew that move, among others, was his son's doing, and not Plague; he somehow commanded the huge serpent like no  
other, whispering in his ear like a mother to her child as the fire-breathing monster obeyed so eagerly as if the plans Noctis made had been his as well, as if he knows what his master thinks before he says it.  
_it's like they're one and the same flesh_, he thought each time he saw them together, it was his shadow after all,  
something that was with him from the beginning of his days.

But this was no joke; Plague smashed into the ground clumsly as if hit by an invisible arrow.

Regis glanced at him wearily, still panting.  
_This is not good._  
The giant reptile struggled on the ground, roaring so horribly it felt more of a shriek than a growl.  
As huge as it was, it looked as fragile as a naked infant on the damp terrain, screaming and kicking  
as if calling for his master.  
_Noctis_, Regis looked around. The place he was in now was no forest, the only path that laid ahead was a narrow one, a one-direction hallway whose walls were made of stones.  
He sprinted rapidly, his legs carrying him in a blinding speed that even he did not know he had.

_I must scout ahead... just in case,_ and with that he sent his shadow running ahead of him, appearing  
out of the ground like a body would appear out of water.  
His was a beautiful creature, slowly transforming into a big black leopard as huge as a bear and as dark  
as night, with slinted yellow eyes that would frighten the bravest man in Lucis, but the color black was no  
stranger to the caelums nor their people, so it wasn't the solitary cat's shade that made most of Lucis'  
residents on edge but its' fangs were as long as pointed daggers and as white as bleach in the night.  
He took to calling him dusk, as befit his gloomy nature and shape, just like his master.

Dusk raced ahead of him, as if knowing what he must do before Regis uttered a word.

The path stretched in front of him, too long Regis thought it would never end until finally he stopped.

Two youths laid on the ground motionless, as if drowned in some great slumber, all drenched in blood.  
Dusk was looming over one, sniffing at it curiously as if it were some dead pray.  
Their bodies were covered with cuts and bruises; Jethro had slashes across his arms and chest but not fatal, no brutal wounds were visible anywhere.  
The same can be said for his child; Noctis had gashes all over his body, even more than his cousin, the pool of blood that formed under him was proof of that.  
Yet, both bodies were fresh, Noctis' was even warm to the touch.  
He did not have to feel their pulse to know they are dead, it showed by the way the wind brushed their cloaks, the way the rain fell on their faces, the way their hair moved by each gust of wind.

Noctis would have removed his locks if he was still alive.

_His hair was always messy... but not like this_,  
He was not wrong; Noctis never cared how his hair looked like; whether it was combed back or even tied in a knot, it would not matter to him,

"I don't need neat hair when i have a handsome face" he always teased if asked or scolded by many, especially his mother.

Regis knelt beside their lifeless bodies, as if waiting for them to wake up, he stared at them for what seemed like an eternity, until finally he  
turned to Dusk and said: "try to find a way out of here, I'm sick of this place".

* * *

"Where did you find him?" she asked, dreading the answer.  
She stood beside her brother-in-law, the youngest of all the three, Marcellus was his name, a broad middle-aged man with long dark blue hair that was cut to his shoulders, a grizzled beard that filled his chin and jaws.

He was the tallest as well; standing beside her, she felt like a tiny little child rather than a grown woman, married and aged.

"In the courtyard" he answered solitary, as if the question itself was offensive to him, as if her whole existence annoyed him.  
_He doesn't feel comfortable when i'm around_, she noted, placing her hands behind her back, clasping them together.  
Lilith wasn't a Caelum, she was low-born and common.  
But somehow Regis had loved her and taken her as his wife.  
_He could have had any woman he wanted in the whole kingdom, a lady of noble-birth, one more fit to be his lady wife... Instead he chose me. Why, i will never know_, and she did not want to, she still felt like she was in a dream, her life here was good, but she still missed her homeland.  
_Accordo is leagues away, but i could still go there and visit my sister. Regis would allow that, she would love to see her sister's son i'm sure._  
But now was not the time to think of such things, she would ask this of him later, when this mournful hour was done.

They stood in front of the castle's morgue, watching silently as the nurses wrapped Glymore's and Miken's bodies in black, clasping their symbol, a skull above two bones, near their hearts.  
Their king refused to watch, so he took to his chambers and allowed none inside, even his own brother.

_Drinking his grieve away no doubt,_ Lilith never liked this Caelum king; each time trouble surfaced, Savos would leave these matters to his counclers, only nodding as the rest made decisions.

_A foolish puppet sitting on his throne, leaving his strings to anyone clever enough to grab hold of them._

Regis and Marcellus would rule in place of their brother most of the time, they may go to the extent of leaving the kingdom on his behalf to deal with political matters in other cities, duties a king must do and not his minions.

Once when Lilith still bore her child inside of her, too tired to even walk as her belly grew bigger each day, her husband came to her suited and ready to depart, gloom faced and sullen.

"Your kid is going to come any second now Regis, you can't go just yet" she held his hand tightly, as if begging him to stay; she did not want him to miss his first born child , but he always told her the same thing;  
"duty calls my love, I must go." he kissed her forehead and touched her belly softly  
"I won't be long I promise".  
But he was, and their child was born two days after he left, a healthy baby boy who she named Noctis, a name they agreed upon three months before her due.  
"If a girl we name her Azalea, after my sweet sister, may the gods give her peace wherever she may be" he told her over dinner,

"And if it was a boy? i know you would want that" she teased, smiling at him while holding her cup of hot milk to her mouth,

He pursed his lips together, stroking his chin over and over as if he was in deep thought, she seemed to have waited forever for him to speak again, but when he did, it came so suddenly, Lilith almost dropped her glass to the floor.

"Noctis" he said, nodding and smirking at the same time, as if he had made a great discovery.  
"We will name him Noctis".  
"And why is that?" she asked, more curious than ever.  
"Savos took hold of both my father and grandfather's names when his own children were born... but Noctis"

he paused for a moment then said:  
"Noctis means night. Night consumes all when it strikes, like water. Every one loathes darkness and are afraid of it-"

"You would have everyone fear your son?!" she asked, surprised by his choice.

"There is a huge difference between fear and respect my Lilith, I mean to have everyone respect mine own child, even if it was just the name."

_He looks nothing like me though, even as a child he always had his father's face;_ she had jet-black hair whilst his was dark-blue, her eyes were light-grey whilst his were dark-blue as well... he had her nose at least and she was thankful for that.

"My lady" the sound came abruptly, Lilith opened her eyes with a slight gasp.

"Are you alright?" the nurse stood right in front of her, clutching a folded blanket in her hands,  
"You look rather pale"

"I'm fine dear. Is it over?"

"Yes. Lord Glymore and prince Miken are now ready for their funeral, may all the gods have mercy on both their souls"

_Etro as well... may she open her gates to their departed souls,_

Instead she said: "Yes, they will be missed".

_This city may have forsaken her, but i still worship my dear goddess,_ she would not dare speak of this to anyone, not even to her beloved husband; while she thought of her as her one and only true idol, the others shunned and despised her, naming her as the cursed goddess of death.

"We worship her naught" Regis once told her "She brings only ill luck to us all".

When she looked to her side, the brooding Caelum was nowhere to be found,  
"Where is Marcellus?"

"A man came, whispered something in his ear and then he took off suddenly, without saying a word"  
"Did he at least say where he was heading?"

"No my lady, but he seemed in a hurry, he did not have time to tell you it appears... I'm sorry my lady, I thought he did"

_Even if he did have time, he would not have told me anything._

"It's fine dear, it's not your fault"

_Not your fault that my own brother-in-law hates me._  
The nurse bowed her head and took her leave.

And again she was left alone to her thoughts, in a room full of death, she could not help but feel scared, so she carried herself the other way, half-running rather than walking.

The day passed and gave way to night again. It rained so hard, no one ever felt it creep by, like a silent thief in the dark.

_A day had passed since we found both Glymore and Miken,_ she realized.

_How many days will come and go before they tell their people that one of their princes is dead ._

The king had sworn to have the head of anyone foolish enough to utter a word of this to anyone outside the castle.  
Right now, everyone in the castle knows. And not by choice.  
She herself had woke to the sounds of screams outside her chambers, by the time she donned her robes and went downstairs, half the palace knew of this tragedy.

She came to a sudden stop when she heard loud noises coming from the main gates of the palace, so she made her way there instead of the castle's prayer hall.

Many were present at were she now stood, but they loomed over whatever had been in front of them all the same.  
Servants, butlers, guards, officers, all were there... And Marcellus as well, as silent as he ever was, only staring with his hands folded against his chest.

She tried to get past the crowd of people, shoving and squeezing, but none seemed to have noticed her, so she went to Marcellus,

"What's wrong?" if she had been talking to a wall, it could have answered her before him.

"What's _ wrong_?" she asked again, louder this time,

He turned his head to face hers and said:

"Why don't you ask your husband?"

_Regis... he's back_, she feared the worst, something inside her churned so she gave no time to stand about.  
At last, she managed to pass through the flock of individuals in front of her. When she finally saw her husband, her hair was wet and her feet were dirty, her robe a color of slight brown soil instead of snow white, but she smiled all the same.

Regis was kneeling on the ground with Dusk sitting right beside him. In front of him lay two corpses covered with black sheets that seemed like cloaks or jackets, right above him she saw three or four men giving him their condolences; one was patting him on the shoulder while the others were whispering into his ears, saying words of regret as if they themselves had done something wrong.

_Please Etro... Give me strength._

"Regis" his name came more of a whimper than a call from her lips; they were quivering slightly and only now she realized she was crying.  
Regis raised his head, as if startled by her voice, his eyes shining bright blue crystals instead of dark stones.  
_He's crying as well_, she never saw him like this; weak and frail, Regis had never shown tears before so she thought it was just the rain, that her eyes had deceived her for a moment, but then she heard his voice, cracked and broken.

"I'm sorry" was all he could say to her, so she understood what he meant before he even voiced another word.

She fell to her knees, clasped her hair with both her hands and let the sorrow engulf her.

* * *

What happens next i wonder? ^_^

Note: i'm not really sure what Noctis' name actually means, if it means night or not, i honestly have no idea. So if its' wrong, i'm sorry :S

R&R are much appreciated,

Thank you for reading, or stopping by. :)


End file.
